In Transition
by gacrux11
Summary: Max just wanted Kai to want him back. Was that so much to ask? Two interconnected Kai/Max drabbles.
1. Transition 1

Max knows rejection hurt (he's been cast-off by many people before he dared approach a certain silver haired someone) but this was just agony. It was a type of pain Max had never experienced before and it made him feel like he was going to vomit his stomach onto the floor. Or maybe cry until his eyes dried out. One of the two. He wasn't sure yet.

And you know, for once in his life, Max doesn't know what to do. He doesn't even know where to _start _to know what to do. He expected to be rejected, too. It's not like he was unprepared when he set off to find Kai in the first place; hell, he put barrier upon barrier up around himself mentally so that he knew he would have his defences covered. Kai couldn't have hurt him even if he said no. Even if he called him a fag or something because hey, they _are _two boys and thats really wrong. Or so his mother has told him day in and day out for the past few years. He still had his defence.

Unfortunately, he thinks, he hadn't taken Kai's meaning more to him than his own happiness into the equation.

Kai had been _that person_ for him. That one soul that you knowshould be yours, but as it turns out, said person just doesn't agree. And it sucks, it does, but Max knows there isn't a whole lot he can do about it, you know? He knows that Kai has an infinite amount of people that would make a better match. Or something. Someone that would make Kai really happy in that weird, tingly kind of way.

Max, blankly staring off to the side, nodded and turned away from the older teen, licking his dry lips and swallowing the bile that had risen in his throat. It's not that big of a deal, he tries to convince himself, it's probably for the best that Kai stays his friend (and team captain and advice-giver and the smart one and his crush and everything he's ever wanted out of life). It's probably just better that way.

"_No."_

Plain and simple. Stated like the fact it was. Clear and always heard; always listened to, even if you didn't want to. Just like Kai. Max shouldn't have expected any different, but in his heart of hearts, he definitely had. And he tends to think that was his downfall in the end. Sad but true. Everyone always expected Max to bounce back after rejection; after defeat; after confronted with fear; after being shut-down like he didn't know a thing. But the truth was, Max couldn't really do that. Every mistake he had ever made, every painful detail, was catalogued away in his mind somewhere waiting to jump out at him when even a glimmer of doubt sparked in his heart. If he ever so much as hesitated at anything, he was done for.

He really just wanted Kai to want him back. Was that so much to ask?

_a/n: Redone because I couldn't stand reading that last version. And there's never enough Kai/Max around the fandom. C'mon guys, help it out! Even if it's just a sentence, you know? _


	2. Transition 2

_A/N: A word of warning: fluff with a touch of attempted humour within. _

Max sighed. Max hated sighing. Max therefore hated himself.

No wait. That wasn't right. He didn't hate himself. He just hated the part of him that Kai couldn't like. Would never like.

Really though, what was so bad about him? Why can't Kai like him? Even just a little? It really rained on his parade. Every time he saw Kai or even just thought of him, or the mention of his name, he got this tingling, crawling feeling and it was very uncomfortable. He just wanted to forget he ever asked, you know? He was one of those 'fall-hard' types, so being rejected was rather like a kick in the shin. You got a bruise afterward. One that stayed black and blue and yellow and _ugly _for far longer than you wanted it to.

He'd always heard that Kai was cold and stuff, hell, he practically lived with it since he saw the boy everyday but... it was just... he said it so... so _matter-a-factually_.Like it wouldn't have mattered if Max got down on his knees and _begged. _Which he very well might have done if he was told it would get Kai to like him. Even just a little.

"Heeeey, Max!" Ah, Tyson was a real nice guy, really. But he couldn't compare to Kai. He just wanted to talk to Kai. That's all. Just talk.

"Oh, hi there," Max said, putting on that front of over-optimism. What are _you _complaining about? It worked. Maybe too well. "What's up?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Maybe it would make it look like he wasn't about to cry. 'Cause guys don't cry. Nope. No way.

"Ray and Daichi and me are gonna go get Kenny and Hilary to go train and stuff, you wanna come?" He asked, leaning on Max's shoulder as he watched the blond tinker around with Draciel. It was a bad habit, he supposed. He tried to make other things better when something bad occurred in his life. Poor Draciel, he thought, because sometimes he made the beyblade worse than he did better.

"And Kai?" He asked. He smacked himself internally for that. Curiosity always seemed to get the better of him at the best of times. In response, Tyson shrugged and rolled his eyes.

"Man, I couldn't find Kai for the life of me! He's in one of those moods, you know? He's hiding out somewhere. Probably brooding in a dark room somewhere," The dark-haired teen stated, laughing despite the rather conflicted air around Max. Then again, Tyson always _had _been useless when it came to being empathetic. No wonder he couldn't get with Hilary.

"Mm... I think I'm gonna have to pass, Ty," Max mumbled, "I wanna mess around with Draciel a little more. I think I'm onto something." He lied. Right through his teeth. It was an awful good thing Tyson was so dense. No offence to him, of course, but Tyson wouldn't be able to comprehend a lie even if one whacked him over the head with a two-by-four.

"Aw, alright, but come get us if you finish today!" Tyson yelled over his shoulder, heading for the door. And once again, Max was alone.

Alone. He found himself _really _hating that word. A lot.

Grumbling to himself about stupid words in the English dictionary, Max slipped Draciel into his pocket and glanced out the window, wondering if he should go see Tyson after all. It was doing him no good just moping around the house, after all. No good at all.

So, he decided he would. Except he had this brilliant idea to leave via the tree out his window. It was more exciting that way. And maybe just a _little _bit stupider. He got out the window itself fine, but he managed to walk into three spider webs he didn't even know were _there _and nearly fell out of the tree numerous times. He decided he wouldn't be doing _that _ever again. When he was finally standing with his two feet planted firmly on solid ground, he began checking himself over for new cuts. Tree branches, he decided morbidly, were a trees lethal weapon.

"Did you ever think you could just walk out the front door? Because that was painful to watch." Max blinked and whirled around to face Kai. Oh goody, just the heart-breaker he wanted to see.

So. Kai showing up in his backyard when he should be brooding in a corner somewhere. That was a tad on the strange side.

"Kai!" Okay, so he had been hoping to be a little more composed, you know? Maybe a little more articulate than just spluttering a disbelieving 'Kai!' like he couldn't speak more than one word. "Eh... uh, I mean... what are you doing in my backyard?" Oh yes, because that was so much smoother.

"Technically I'm not in your backyard," Kai pointed out with an absent shrug. Ah yes, he was standing on the fence. He supposed that was so he could run off if Max was angry or something. Yeah sure, like Max could ever be angry at _Kai. _That would be the day.

"...So then why are you here, then?" Max asked quietly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. How awkward.

"I..." Kai blinked, looking rather confused. Why was he there again? "...I just..."

"Look, Kai, if it's about that stupid confession of mine, it was a bad idea. Just forget about it, alright?

"Max, hold on a sec."

"I mean, it was – is – obvious you don't feel the same way. I get it, its fine, I just –"

"Stop _talking, _Max."

"Really, Kai, I don't _care. _You didn't have to come all the way here. And Tyson wants to see you so –" Oh.

_Oh._

Kai's lips. Were touching. His lips. It was oddly sweet and innocent and it was a small miracle that Max didn't faint. Or something, because you know only _girls _faint.

...Yeah.

"I said _stop talking.__" _The silver-haired boy moved his lips while they were still close to his and Max could feel Kai's breaths mingling with his and it was just very... _wonderful_. Tentatively, Kai's pale hands removed themselves from the tree and came to rest just near his hips. Not on because Kai still seemed about ready to bolt but it was okay because he _hadn't left yet. _Max blinked up at him dazedly.

"Am I safe to assume this means you... uh... changed your mind?" Max asked quietly, eyes half-closing. Kai quirked his eyebrows at him in response and Max could guess that meant he was an idiot for bothering to ask. But hey, Max didn't deny he was an idiot when it came to Kai. He was just glad Kai didn't mind that detail.

In the very end, he supposed, Max was content in just knowing that Kai felt _something _there. Something Max had been hoping for and wishing for and wanting for forever.


End file.
